The Old Church of St George, traditionally known as Runović’s Church, is a small single-aisled Late Byzantine church dating from the 14th–16th centuries, located within the courtyard complex of the Cathedral of St George in the historic core of Prizren. Before the construction of the new cathedral in the second half of the 19th century, it served as the town’s principal Orthodox church. During the March 2004 unrest, its interior and wall paintings were severely damaged by explosion and fire, while its lead roof cover was stolen in 2005 and again in 2006. Documentation of the Reconstruction Implementation Commission (RIC) records emergency protection in 2005, restoration works in 2006, an archaeological strategy in 2007, and programmed floor and fresco interventions for 2009.
Historical and Architectural Significance
The Old Church of St George, widely known in historical and conservation literature by its ktetorial name as Runović’s Church (Runovića crkva), stands in the northeastern section of the courtyard of the newer Episcopal Cathedral of St George (RIC site #04) in the historic centre of Prizren. In the May 2009 archival dossier of the Reconstruction Implementation Commission (RIC), the monument is described as a small single-aisled church built in the Late Byzantine style, covered by a barrel vault, containing rich wall paintings, and dated between the 14th and 16th centuries. Situated within the same enclosed compound as the large late-19th-century cathedral and episcopal buildings, Runović’s Church represents the oldest surviving sacred structure of the complex.
Architecturally, the church belongs to the group of modest urban single-nave stone and brick churches of rectangular plan with a semicircular eastern apse and a barrel vault beneath a pitched roof covered in lead sheet. Its interior preserved significant layers of medieval and post-Byzantine wall paintings as well as a stone slab floor incorporating historic burials and tombstones, reflecting its centuries-long liturgical and memorial role prior to the erection of the adjacent cathedral in the second half of the 19th century.
Within the RIC Sites catalogue, the monument was assigned its own distinct entry as site #07 (07 OLD CHURCH OF ST GEORGE (RUNOVIC’S CHURCH)Prizren), separate from the Episcopal Church of St George (#04) and the Episcopal Residence (#14), even though all three occupy the same courtyard complex. This separate classification reflected the distinct medieval fabric, conservation requirements, and archaeological sensitivity of the older chapel compared to the 19th-century cathedral.
Destruction and Recorded Damage (March 2004)
During the March 2004 riots, the Old Church of St George sustained severe structural and surface damage caused by both an internal explosion and fire. According to the 2004 Damage Assessment recorded in the RIC dossier, visible cracks opened in the masonry, the wooden doors and windows were burnt, the stone floors were left in poor condition, and a historic tomb inside the church was desecrated. On the exterior, the stonework was damaged and blackened by fire and smoke.
The interior frescoes suffered heavy degradation: the RIC assessment notes that the wall paintings were 'largely affected' by heat, blast shock, and soot deposition. In addition to the destruction of March 2004, the RIC site sheet explicitly documents repeated post-2004 criminal damage during the recovery period: 'The lead roof cover was stolen in 2005 and again in 2006', repeatedly exposing the barrel vault and fragile wall paintings to moisture infiltration.
Reconstruction and Conservation Works (2005–2009)
Interventions under the mandate of the Reconstruction Implementation Commission (RIC) were implemented through a joint 2005 protective tender for two medieval churches in Prizren, followed by a dedicated 2006 restoration contract and archaeological and conservation planning in 2007–2009.
| Year | Completed Works and Interventions | Stage Status |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Protective interventions: cleanup operation with recovery of sensitive material, re-roofing with lead, stonework cleaning, installation of temporary softwood doors and windows, and protective covering of the floor and tombstone inside the church. | Completed |
| 2006 | Reconstruction works (restoration contract): clearance and dismantling of damaged elements, repair of internal render, stonework repairs and cleaning, electrical installation, new lead roof installed, and new permanent joinery fitted. | Completed |
| 2007 | Reconstruction works: preparation of an archaeological strategy for the site; at programme level, a restricted tender was issued for wall paintings restoration across 10 Serbian Orthodox churches. | Completed |
| 2008 | No structural or conservation interventions carried out on site during calendar year 2008. | Completed |
| 2009 | Further interventions programmed: specialist floor leveling, wall paintings restoration, and archaeological assessment. | Planned |
The sequence of works at Runović’s Church illustrates the multi-stage conservation methodology required for small medieval monuments in urban Prizren. In the 2005 emergency phase, the RIC grouped the Old Church of St George (#07) with the nearby 14th-century Church of St Nicholas (Tutić’s Church, #05) under Tender Ref. No. 8. Works in 2005 focused on controlled debris clearance with the recovery of sensitive historical fragments, exterior stonework cleaning, re-roofing with lead, fitting temporary softwood doors and windows, and installing protective boarding over the damaged stone floor and desecrated tombstone inside the nave.
Because the lead roof covering was stolen in 2005 and stolen a second time in 2006 (a pattern also documented at Bogorodica Ljeviška in 2005), the RIC launched a dedicated restoration tender in 2006 under Reference No. 43000-06-008-5-2-1 (Restoration works in the Old Church of St George (Runovic). Prizren). Under this 2006 phase, contractors dismantled unstable masonry elements, repaired internal plaster renders, cleaned and pointed the stone facades, installed electrical wiring, fitted a new lead roof, and replaced the temporary softwood closures with permanent joinery. In 2007, work shifted to preparing an archaeological strategy, closely connected to the archaeological discoveries documented in the St George courtyard complex in October 2006 (referenced in the RIC press release Archaeological finds at St George of 12 October 2006).
Conservation Context and Monument Condition
According to the May 2009 Commission report, no physical interventions took place in 2008, while three specialist tasks were listed under 2009-FURTHER INTERVENTIONS PROGRAMMED: Specialist floor leveling, Wall paintings restoration, and Archaeological assessment. In line with the editorial standards of this collection, these 2009 entries are documented strictly as programmed works at the time of the archive cutoff rather than verified completions.
Later photographic documentation by the BLAGO Fund from June 2019 (included in this dossier) shows the sanctuary interior with consolidated plaster borders around surviving fresco fragments. However, because the primary RIC web archive ends in May 2009 and subsequent Council of Europe and OSCE overview reports from 2010–2011 do not provide an individual completion certificate for the floor leveling and fresco conservation at Runović’s Church, this dossier explicitly distinguishes the verified 2005–2007 architectural and archaeological preparation phases from the specialist works programmed for 2009.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the Old Church of St George (Runović’s Church) located in relation to the Cathedral of St George?
Runović’s Church is located directly inside the courtyard complex of the Episcopal Cathedral of St George (#04) in central Prizren. While the Cathedral dates from the second half of the 19th century, Runović’s Church (#07) is a much older 14th–16th-century single-aisled church maintained as a separate monument entry in the RIC catalogue.
What damage did Runović’s Church suffer in March 2004?
The 2004 Damage Assessment records that the interior was damaged by explosion and fire, causing visible structural cracks, severe damage to the wall paintings, degradation of the stone floor, burning of the doors and windows,smoke damage to exterior stonework, and the desecration of a tomb inside the church.
Why was the lead roof replaced more than once between 2005 and 2006?
The RIC dossier explicitly notes that the lead roof cover was stolen in 2005 and stolen again in 2006. Consequently, after the initial re-roofing during the 2005 protective phase, a new lead roof had to be installed during the 2006 restoration contract.
Which RIC tenders covered the works on Runović’s Church?
Emergency protection in 2005 was tendered under Group Ref. No. 8 (jointly with Tutić’s Church of St Nicholas), while the main architectural restoration in 2006 was tendered under Ref. No. 43000-06-008-5-2-1 ('Restoration works in the Old Church of St George (Runovic). Prizren').
Does the May 2009 RIC archive confirm that the fresco restoration was completed?
No. In the May 2009 RIC record, specialist floor leveling, wall paintings restoration, and archaeological assessment are listed under '2009-FURTHER INTERVENTIONS PROGRAMMED', indicating planned works rather than documented completion.
Sources and Further Reading
- EU/CoE Support to the Promotion of Cultural Diversity in Kosovo (PCDK) & Previous Reconstruction Action — Council of Europe (Directorate of Culture and Cultural and Natural Heritage) (2010–2014) · Source document ↗
- Report Submitted by UNMIK Pursuant to Article 2.2 of the Agreement Between UNMIK and the Council of Europe Related to the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (ACFC/SR/II(2009)002) — Council of Europe / UNMIK (31. maj 2010.) · Source document ↗
- OSCE Mission in Kosovo Report on Cultural Heritage Protection and Reconstruction Process (Document 74597) — OSCE Mission in Kosovo (2008–2010) · Source document ↗
- RIC Archival Site Dossiers (/inc/{eng,srp}/sites/*.html, May–July 2009) — Reconstruction Implementation Commission (RIC) — archival snapshots (17. maj 2009. / 28. jul 2009.)
